Of Fate and Coffee-Scented Sheets
by xoxofandomgirl
Summary: If Alex rejected her now, she knew that that pathetic teenage girl (that homeless one who lived in her car) would come back to stay. Maybe she already had. Alex and Jo, post 9x22. Jo-centric. Rated T for language.
1. Maybe

She always ended up coming back, no matter how hard she tried to stay away. He always seemed to pull her back, or maybe she always ran to him once she'd realized what she'd done. Maybe, through some weird, complicated events, they ended up meeting somewhere in the middle, almost like fate or destiny.

But fate and destiny didn't exist, Jo reminded herself, because, if they did, surely they wouldn't be so cruel. They'd have her bump into him at a cute, little coffee shop or bookstore, or possibly in the middle of a rainstorm if they were feeling particularly reckless that day. They wouldn't have them meet again like this.

Jo sat, frozen, on his front porch for a while, not sure exactly why she had gone there. In fact, it was a pretty crappy plan, now that she thought about it. Maybe he wouldn't forgive her this time. Maybe she had run back a bit too late. Maybe she'd said one word too many or too little, and maybe he'd tell her to leave him alone and go sort her shit out on her own time. Oh God, that couldn't happen; it just couldn't because she already had no goddamn idea what she was doing.

She had run back yet again this time, not because she wanted to, but because she had to. Because if she didn't, she would've reverted to that 16-year-old girl who lived out of her car, and Jo had worked too damn hard to go back to that. Something inside of her told her that, if Alex rejected her now, in such a sensitive and vulnerable state, that that pathetic girl she'd been so desperately trying to hide would come back to stay.

Maybe she already had.

"Oh, man, you're killing me here." Jo did not move. She couldn't look him in the eyes, not yet at least. "I'm trying to leave you alone. I'm trying to get out of your freaking life, but you're everywhere." Deep breaths, deep breaths. "And now you show up to tell me the same thing?" _No, Alex, never again. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't do this. Let me stay. God, let me stay._ "Well, guess what?"

She somehow found the courage to look at him. "Can I stay here?" _Breathe, Jo, breathe_. "Please?"

He was quiet for a moment. "He hit you."

"I need to stay with you, Alex, I – "

"He hit you," Alex repeated, a note of hysteria in his voice. "Damnit, answer me!"

The breath caught in her throat – never before had she seen this type of rage, this fierce protectiveness that border-lined animalistic. "Y-yes," she choked.

He slammed his keys into the door and opened it brazenly. He moved to grab her arm, but she recoiled. Alex scowled. "I'm not going to hurt you," he told her, taking hold of her arm once more and dragging her inside. He ravaged through his refrigerator with alarming speed, stuffing ice messily into some plastic bag. "We're going to my room now," he informed her. "And you're going to tell me everything."

Jo only nodded. She'd lost her nerve and couldn't find it anywhere in her to speak.

"Jo?" Alex said, bringing her back to her senses. "We're going to my room now, okay?" Alex sighed at her lack of a response. "Look, you're scaring me. I'm going to need you to talk to me. You have to _talk_."

They held eye contact for some time, and Jo felt her heart beat erratically in her chest. Because that look in his eyes, that primitive one that proclaimed a longing to protect his property? Jo couldn't help but find it strangely… attractive. "Okay," Jo said quietly. "Let's go."

Alex gave her a reassuring smile and handed her the bag of ice. "Here. Put this on."

One silent trip up the stairs later, Jo lay snuggled in Alex's bed. She'd be lying if she said the thought of being in his bed had never snuck into her mind, but, in these accidental fantasies, it'd been under very, um, _different_ circumstances. But this was nothing like Jo had ever imagined it would be. His bed smelled so distinctively of him, a mixture of coffee and Old Spice, so _Alex_, that it was hard not to feel instantly comforted. The sensation of being wrapped up in _his_ blankets that were drenched in _his_ scent made her never want to get up again. She was overcome with the overwhelming desire to just ignore all that day's events and breathe in the smell of coffee and Old Spice forever.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Alex asked her.

Jo burrowed further into the blankets. "No."

"C'mon," he prompted, tearing the blankets of off her. Jo groaned and felt strangely bare without his comforter. Putting the ice back on her face, Jo sat up and looked Alex in the eyes.

"What do you want me to say?" Jo asked. "Is there anything _to_ say?"

"I need to know what happened," Alex informed her. "Before I go kick his ass, I have to know for sure."

"We, uh, we were fighting," Jo started, and the memory rushed back: how he tortured her with his words, how he looked at her with that surprisingly devilish look in his eyes, how he drew his fist back, and he –

And now she was sobbing hysterically, unable to stop the moment from playing over and over again. It was all too much, and the desire to hide in his coffee-and-Old-Spice scented sheets consumed her.

"He _hit _you?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Jo mustered up all her will power to manage a weak nod. Alex shot up, clenching his fists by his sides, and paced around the room for a bit. He suddenly stopped and ran out, putting his hood up and stomping down the stairs.

"What are you going to do?" Jo cried out, shocked at her ability to speak again.

She didn't want him to leave, she realized. As comforting as it was that he was so protective, all she wanted was for him stay the night. She wanted him to sleep next to her as she tried to nod off, and when she finally did and was woken up by the nightmares that were sure to come, she wanted him to hold her firmly and whisper comforting words into her ear.

The room seemed strangely silent without Alex, and the scent of him seemed to have faded. And as she sat in the silence, something clicked. She didn't want to sleep in here because of the scent, and she didn't come to his house because she'd been in a state of shock; it was because she loved him. Whether or not she loved him as a friend or as a lover, she wasn't sure, but all she knew was that this was fate's doing.

It must exist, Jo told herself, because how would she ever find herself in this situation otherwise? "What a dick," Jo told herself. She wasn't quite sure if she was talking about Jason or fate. _Both_, she decided. _Definitely both._

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :) Please review, favorite, etc.!**

**Also, for those of you who are reading Secrets, Secrets, Are No Fun, I'm really sorry that I haven't updated it in so long. I've had writer's block :/ Hopefully this makes up for it somewhat?**


	2. Rule of Thumb

It was 3:48, and Alex still hadn't come home. Granted, it'd been late when she'd arrived (around one), but he'd now been out for _three hours_. Needless to stay, Jo was flipping out.

As if the fact that he was out doing God knows what wasn't enough to drive her crazy, his house was freaking scary at night. Every time she felt herself about to fall asleep, the mirror in the corner of his room would turn into Jason, who was glaring at her angrily. His breathing was heavy, and Jo knew that if she said or did anything to provoke him, they'd have a repeat of what had happened merely hours ago.

In addition to the furniture that changed into abusive boyfriends, the house was just all-around creepy. There was a tree right outside the window that would hit the house from time to time, and there was the occasional unidentifiable creaking noise as well.

So of course she couldn't fall asleep. It was most definitely _not_ because she was worried about Alex, though. It was because of those sketchy mirrors and trees and noises.

Yeah, definitely not Alex.

But, still, she felt a wave of relief crash over her as she heard the jingling of keys and Alex's heavy footsteps walking throughout the house. Jo exhaled sharply and placed a hand over her heart, only then realizing how quickly it was beating. "Alex?" she called softly. "Alex, is that you?"

The footsteps increased in speed, and suddenly the door to the bedroom sprang open. Jo sat up in anticipation. "You're still up," Alex noted, closing the door behind him. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Jo ignored his question. "What happened?"

Even though it was dark, Jo could tell that he was avoiding her eyes. "Jo, uh, he's really hurt."

"Hurt?" Jo echoed. "What do you mean 'hurt?'"

"I swear I didn't do anything," Alex started. "I got there, and he was – he was really cut up."

"Well, did you do anything?" Jo demanded. "Where is he now? Is he okay?"

"Why do you even care?" Alex accused. "Damnit, Jo, he hit you. He – he _hit_ you!" Alex was pacing again, and his breathing had become a bit ragged.

"You don't think I know that?" Jo cried. "But he was my _boyfriend_, Alex. I was about to move in the guy! I – I was in love with him!" Jo wasn't quite sure why, but she felt her eyes prickling with tears. "I know that he hit me, but – but maybe he just lost his temper, or maybe – "

Alex stopped right in front of Jo, his eyes boring into hers dangerously. "No. Jo, that's not how it works." Jo opened her mouth to say something, but Alex cut her off. "He doesn't love you. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but he doesn't. He _can't_, not if he hit you. If he was really in love with you, he wouldn't even dream of laying a hand on you. If he was in love with you, he'd want to hold hands with you. He'd want to watch you fall asleep on his shoulder while you guys watched some stupid chick flick that he let you pick out. He might even want to make you breakfast one morning just to make you smile and – " Alex shook his head. "He wouldn't hit you. No guy should _ever_ hit you, especially not a douche-bag like that. I swear, if I'd gotten my hands on him sooner…" Alex trailed off in thought. "Just as a rule of thumb, Jo: if some guy ever does anything to you that _I_ wouldn't, he doesn't deserve you, okay? He doesn't love you, and he sure as hell isn't good enough for you."

The room was silent for a moment, filled only with the sound of Alex's labored breathing. "So what's that supposed to mean?" Jo asked him.

"What do you mean, 'what's that supposed to mean?'" Alex mimicked, raising his voice a couple of octaves.

"You basically just said that no guy deserves me except for you," she pointed out.

"That is not what I said!" he defended.

"Goddamnit, Alex!" she screamed, surprising both Alex and herself. The tears were streaming steadily down her face now, and the desire to disappear into his sheets returned. "Someone I'm in love with just hit me, okay? I've been freaking abused. I don't need you to play your _stupid_ games right now, and I sure as hell don't need you yelling at me. Just get your ass into bed. I need you to get your ass into bed and hold me and tell me that everything's gonna be alright. Can you handle that?"

And again the silence returned, this time only interrupted by Jo's sobs. In the dark, she could make out Alex's figure making his way over to the bed and climbing in. She felt his arm wrap around her waist cautiously, pulling her ever-so-slightly closer to him. "It's – it's gonna be alright," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

That was all it took for her to break down.

She didn't really know how, but the next second her arms were around his neck, and she was weeping hysterically into his t-shirt. She couldn't help but note subconsciously that his t-shirt smelled a bit more Old Spice-y than his sheets, but it still had a tinge of coffee in it. This was the one thought that kept her grounded as she buried her face further into his chest. All the other thoughts were one big blob mashed up in her head, thoughts that she was trying desperately to avoid thinking of because, if she did, God, she didn't know what she might do.

His arms were now wrapped around her back, holding her securely. "Sh," he comforted. "You're okay now, Jo. He's not going to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe." He pulled away for a second to press a hesitant kiss on the top of her head, and then returned to his former spot next to her ear. "I'm not going anywhere. You're okay. It's all going to be okay."

Surely the old Alex would be ecstatic at this situation, Alex realized with contempt: the girl he liked was practically all over him, and he could probably do whatever he wanted with her right now, she was so vulnerable.

The new Alex was disgusted at the thought.

Because, Jesus Christ, what had she ever done to deserve this? This amazing girl who was funny, and smart, and kind? Could she really have such bad karma that, in some odd way, she'd earned being beaten by some douche-bag?

No, this couldn't be karma, he told himself, but there had to be some kind of reason that this happened. Maybe it was kind of like fate. Maybe, just maybe, something good was supposed to appear out of all this shit.

Alex couldn't help but think that holding her in his arms wasn't exactly the worst thing that'd ever happened to him. In fact, it was pretty damn great.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review, favorite, alert, etc.!**

**Well, I've decided to continue it! Thanks for all of your comments on the story so far. I'd love to receive more if you have a chance :)**


	3. Breathe

**A/N: This chapter is based during the last scene with Alex and Jo in 9x23. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Grey's Anatomy. All rights go to ABC and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

To say that it'd just been one of those days was an understatement. Jo couldn't remember a lower time in her life, a time where she'd been such a freaking mess. She was honestly coming undone – she had no idea what to do with her life anymore. And worst of all? It was her fault. It was all her fault, and she knew it. Before, she'd always try to blame these kinds of things on something, anything, else – fate, destiny, karma – but not this time. This time, it was all her. She scowled as the thunder roared endlessly outside the house. The lights flickered once, twice, and then shut off completely. _Perfect. Just freaking perfect._ Jo sighed and gathered candles and a match (enduring a fair amount of difficulty through the darkness). She lit candle after candle slowly and meticulously. It was almost therapeutic. For a minute there, all that existed was her and the candles, and nothing else in the world even mattered. All that mattered was that every single one of these candles had to be lit, and, if they were, everything would turn out just fine.

"What the hell happened?" Alex demanded, stomping inside.

"The power went out a half-hour ago, so I – " Jo started.

"No, you," he pleaded. "What were you thinking? Peckwell could've died."

She faltered. "Is he – "

"No, he's fine," he relented, walking forward. "And you're lucky he's not pressing charges, but you are an idiot. You get that you could've gone to jail, right? You say you try so hard to change, to become this new person, but then you do _this_? You don't want to be a low-life anymore? You gotta grow up and stop acting like one."

"No, _you_ grow up!" she retorted, pushing him backwards. He was too close, far too close for her to even manage a thought. God, she couldn't breathe with him like that. "Not everyone's like you, Alex." She didn't know why she was doing this, but he always did this to her – he always pushed her to her breaking point and further, and she never felt more alive then when she could see that point miles behind her. "People are horrible, and the last time someone grabbed me like Jason did, I – " And there he went again, making her say things she had never admitted to before. But he wouldn't this time, now that he wasn't nearly as close, and Jo had regained some composure. She stopped herself. Alex took another step towards her, and she nearly lost control. But she didn't. God, how did she ever keep _any_ control around him? "I promised no one would ever do that again. So I am sorry, but not everyone's like you. Not everyone's good." Alex refused to look her in the eye, and she knew she had gone too far. She always went too far. "And now you think I'm horrible, too."

He stared at her for a second and shook his head lightly. "No. No, if you hadn't gotten to him first, I promise I probably would've killed the guy." His voice was soft, so pure and honest. Jo couldn't remember the last time anyone had been so gentle with her, almost as if she might break any second.

Jo swallowed. "Why? Why would you do that for me?" But she knew the answer.

"Shut up," Alex said. "Why wouldn't I?"

The pain in her stomach was unbearable. It was like a weight – like an anchor attached somewhere inside her, pulling her inevitably closer to the ground. Her throat was tense, and she couldn't breathe even if she wanted to. Her head spun in circle after circle, but her gaze was steady as she simply stood there.

Not only did she love Alex, but she was _in_ love with him. She wanted him to bend down on one knee and propose. She wanted him to smile at her as she walked down the aisle. She wanted him to come to all their kids' recitals and concerts and give them small bouquets of flowers and tell them what a great job they did. Dear God, she was in love with Alex, and she'd never even realized it.

And he was in love with her, too, another thing she'd just realized. But, goddamn it, it'd been so freaking _obvious_ looking back on it – how had she not caught on?

But that didn't matter now. All that mattered was that Alex Karev was only feet away from her in the candle-lit darkness, and all she wanted to do was kiss him.

And judging by that look in his eyes, the feeling was mutual.

The air was heavy, filled with a year's worth of unspoken words. Jo felt as if she were choking on it, as if it'd reached down her throat and cut off her vocal chords so that she couldn't speak. All she could do was stand there and look into his eyes. She couldn't help but wonder if her own looked so desperate, so longing to be loved and needed. She gulped. They did. Oh, they definitely did.

She subconsciously tightened her grip around the sweatshirt she was wearing, one of his that she'd found in his bedroom the night before. The smell of Old Spice that lingered on it had been enough to get her through the day, but now that he was so close, it didn't seem anywhere near sufficient. How had she even survived without the constant reminder of _Alex, Alex, Alex_ all day? Jo wrapped the sweatshirt around herself even tighter, digging her nails into her sides. She needed to be engulfed in the scent immediately, needed it to completely overwhelm all her other senses and thoughts and for it just to be him forever.

But she was stubborn, so goddamn stubborn. She would not be the first to move – that'd have to be him. He'd have to do it because there was no way in hell that it would be her. She was too stubborn, or maybe "scared" was the more appropriate word.

But he was stubborn, too. Neither of them would move, and Jo knew that. But maybe, just maybe, he'd suck it up just this once. Maybe he'd kiss her. Her heart beat ridiculously noisily at the thought, and her breathing quickened considerably. The thought of his lips on hers consumed her, and she almost did it. She almost ran up to him and grabbed his arms and kissed him.

If only that freaking tree didn't choose that moment to crash through the window.

In all honesty, Jo didn't have enough time to process it. All she knew is that one minute she was imagining kissing the life out of Alex, and the next there was a tree next to her, and rain pounding on her face. She gasped and sputtered for breath, searching frantically for Alex through the mess of branches. She found him, and they made eye contact. He was okay, Jo told herself. He was okay.

She couldn't help but feel slightly comforted by the fact that the first thing he'd done was look for her, too, and maybe (if she was really, _really_ lucky, which she never seemed to be) he would've kissed her.

_Or maybe not._

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review, favorite, follow, etc.!**

**I am COMPLETELY blown away by your reactions! Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback! It really does make my day :) **

**Also, as you might've been able to tell, I'm going to start writing this story depending on what happens the episode before. Obviously the finale's the next episode so after that I'll be on my own, but yeah (well, that was an eloquent way to end that sentence :P). Thank you, and I'll be back soon! -xoxofandomgirl**


	4. Cliché

Jo felt like she was in some stupid chick flick as she stared out the window. It was raining violently (_as it normally does during a hurricane_, Jo reminded herself), and she found herself watching the droplets gather on the glass steadily. It was just so cliché. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl doesn't realize, girl dates douchebag, douchebag reveals his douchebag-like nature to girl, girl punches douchebag, girl realizes she's in love with boy, boy and girl meet in a rainstorm… it was clear what the next step was. She was one wrong move away from a Dear John throwback.

She felt Alex's presence somewhere behind her. She turned around, looking him in the eye for all of a second before tearing her gaze away from his hurriedly. She could've sworn she saw him staring at her out of the corner of her eye, but he must've turned away by the time she gathered the courage to actually check. Damn, this was just so infuriating.

"This place looks so different in the dark," Jo stated simply. She again refused eye contact with Alex, trying to avoid a repeat of last night's terribly fantastic events.

"Yeah," he agreed, looking solemnly out the window. He suddenly grinned and bent down so that his lips brushed her ear. She shivered as his hot breath reached her neck. She noted subconsciously that he smelled a bit more coffee-like today than usual, probably due to his large amount of consumption of the beverage. "Think the tree ruined my couch?"

Jo laughed. "I think it ruined your entire living room."

It was quiet again for a moment, and Jo felt her stomach churn painfully. This was not the usual type of silence that passed in between them – this one ached for something, anything. Exactly what for, Jo didn't know, but she had a feeling. She felt her body flood with dread as she saw Alex turn towards her.

"Listen, I have to tell you something," Alex started.

Jo gulped, finally looking him in the eye. "No, you don't.

"You don't even know what I'm gonna say," he retorted.

"I think I do," Jo admitted. She braced herself for what was going to come. He was going to tell her, she just knew it. She was suddenly filled with the desire to run, to just run and never look back. She took a deep breath. She could do this. She had this under control. "And you shouldn't."

"Jo – " Oh, who was she kidding? She had no control. She never had control when it came to him.

"I'll mess it up, Alex," she practically begged him. Because she always did – every damn time without fail. She'd had a good thing with Jason, and look at how well that turned out. She barely talked to Stephanie anymore, her "best friend" at work, and these were just the good things, not the things that made her get up in the mornings and face shitty day after shitty day without giving up. Those things were Alex, in a word. It was all him; everything was. "I mess everything good in my life up, and we work as friends really well, and I don't wanna mess that up."

"You won't mess anything up," Alex assured her, and, for some odd reason, when he said it, she believed it, if only for a moment. He paused for second, debating whether or not to continue. "Last night, before the tree, you asked me a question. You wanted to hear me say the words." Oh, God, she'd wanted to hear them. She'd wanted to hear them so bad. "So, I'm… saying them. Right now." Jo felt her throat tense, her eyes locking with his hopefully. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but nothing seemed to be coming out.

She knew it was too good to be true. She was stupid. God, she was so stupid. "I don't hear anything." She continued berating herself internally. She was such an idiot. A stupid, stupid idiot.

"Shut up," he told her.

"Okay, but – " he didn't really want this, did he? He was just doing this to make her happy. This was probably the most embarrassing thing someone had ever put her through.

"I'm serious."

"Fine." But it wasn't fine. God, she was such an idiot, thinking that he liked her. Of course he didn't. She was just some screwed up delinqu –

"I love you."

Her mind went blank, and she felt jitters scatter through her body. Oh, my God, he loved her. She was a screwed up delinquent, and he still loved her. She had been a freaking hobo, and here he was spilling his heart out. She felt her face split into a grin; God, she just couldn't help it. She wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time. This was amazing. This was like a goddamn fairytale. Screw the "like" – it _was _a fairytale. _I guess that makes me a princess_, Jo noted ironically.

She felt his hand grab at her arm, and she reacted immediately, throwing herself into his arms impatiently. It was like they were made to hold her; never before had she felt so safe, so comforted. His lips met hers, and she melted, wrapping her arms around his neck for support because, God, her knees might just give out if she didn't. It seemed as if he could read her mind as he tightened his grip around her waist and lifted her up into the air. Jo gasped at the sensation – she was literally flying. She played with the hair at the back of his neck, trying to memorize every touch, every sensation. His lips were eager yet soft against hers, his hands spread out wide against her back, pressing her impossibly closer to him. Jo now understood what Heather and Leah had been going on and on about. Damn, she had been missing out.

_Maybe Nicholas Sparks movies aren't all that bad_, Jo thought as Alex bent down to kiss her neck. _Definitely not._

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading! Please review, favorite, alert, etc.!**

**I really hope I did this scene justice - it was maybe the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I fangirled so hard, I can't even. JOLEX IS CANON EVERYONE!**


	5. Name Game

"Hey, babe," Alex greeted, wrapping an arm casually around Jo's shoulders. "How's scrubbing in with Mer been?"

"Not really sure how I feel about 'babe,' to be honest," Jo teased, looking off into the distance with false concentration. "I think 'sweetie' or 'baby doll' would suit me more, don't you think?"

"Baby doll," Alex said slowly, seeming to test out the nickname on his tongue. "I think I could deal with that."

Jo punched him lightly. "I was kidding, jackass. Call me that again, and I'll punch you harder."

Alex put a hand over his heart in shock, clearly _very_ hurt. "I am trying so hard to come up with a nickname for you over here, while you've settled on 'Jackass?'" Alex shook his head slowly. "That's just cruel, baby doll."

Jo laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I call 'em like I see 'em."

"Takes one to know one."

"That was weak," Jo told him, leaning up to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "I gotta go now. Grey's paging me. See you at Joe's after work? Nine o'clock?"

"You can count on it, baby doll," he promised. "But I'll be damned if I let my girlfriend go without a proper kiss." Alex suddenly flung his another arm around her neck, effectively trapping her.

Jo rolled her eyes but leaned in nonetheless, giving him a chaste kiss before beginning to pull back. However, it seemed that Alex had other ideas. Slipping a hand around her waist, he pulled her closer to him, their bodies flush against each other. His other hand went to her cheek, moving her head to the side to kiss her more deeply. He ran his tongue experimentally over her lips, and he smirked as he heard inhale sharply. The noise somehow pulled Jo from her dream-like state, causing her to detangle herself from Alex somewhat reluctantly. "Hold on there, buddy. I gave you your kiss, and now you've got to let me go. A deal's a deal."

"Fine," Alex relented, releasing her from his hold. "Love you, baby doll!"

"Love you, too, jackass!" she called over her shoulder. "You better have a good nickname for me by the time I see you at the bar!"

* * *

"Kit kat?"

"No."

"Care bear?"

"_God_, no."

"Love?"

"What are you, British?"

Alex smiled roguishly, tracing his finger over the rim of his beer bottle. "I still think Baby Doll's the clear winner here. How could you beat the wonderful fifty's charm it's got? The awkward possessiveness?"

Jo rolled her eyes. "I guess I'll just have to call you the nickname I came up with then."

Alex's eyes brightened with amusement. "And what might that name be?" he asked, bringing his beer bottle to his lips.

"McEasy."

Alex very nearly choked on his drink. "Mc – Mc_Easy_?"

"Hear me out, okay? I put a lot of thought into this nickname," Jo informed him. "Think about it. Derek is McDreamy, Bailey's BCB, Meredith's Medusa – basically, the only person who doesn't have a name is you! So, if you start playing off McDreamy, naturally you get McSteamy." Alex frowned slightly at the mention of Mark's old nickname. "But I decided that didn't really suit you. I mean, sure, you're a man-whore, but McSteamy implies that you've got _standards_, you know? And, no offense, all _your_ standards require a pair of legs and boobs. Thus, McEasy was born."

"That's not true!" Alex protested. "I've got standards!"

Jo raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Oh, really? And what would those standards be?"

"Well, the girl's gotta be smart," he told her. "And not just semi-smart. She's gotta be quick as a whip. She needs to keep my on my toes." Alex smiled. "I think we all know that I need to be kept in line."

"Hell yes, you do."

"Let me finish, Wilson," Alex prompted. "Not only does she have to be smart, but she's gotta be understanding. She has to be able to see past the exterior and see people for who they truly are. She's gotta be kind, and beautiful, and she's gotta have one hell of a rack."

Jo laughed, taking a sip of her tequila. "And for a minute there I thought you were sweet."

"I never said 'sweet' was a standard of mine, baby doll," Alex retorted. "Otherwise, you wouldn't make the cut."

"Okay, okay, you have standards, but did you just imply that I'm not sweet?" Jo asked, a clear hint of amusement in her voice.

"Okay, I just said all these wonderful things about you, and that's what you choose to pick out?" Alex questioned, sounding disgruntled, but there was a look in Alex's eyes that betrayed his act. "That's the last time I try to be romantic."

Jo pouted. "No! I like it when you try to be romantic. It's cute. You're like a Prince Charming wannabe."

"Which would make _you_ my princess," Alex promptly pointed out.

"I could deal with that, you know," Jo said thoughtfully. "Princess."

"You're not serious, right?" Alex said. "You nearly ripped my head off when I said that to you at the beginning of your internship!"

Jo merely shrugged. "It's grown on me, I guess."

Alex smiled mischievously. "So, _I guess_ that would make my name Charming, after the prince himself." Jo rolled her eyes at his cockiness, particularly enjoying the way his chest puffed out in pride.

"Not so fast, _Charming_. You're still Jackass in my book."

"But think about it!" Alex prompted. "Princess and Charming! It'd be freaking adorable!"

"But Princess and Jackass is a bit more fitting, don't you think?" Jo teased. "The smart, understanding, kind, beautiful intern with a hell of a rack falls for the man-whore, jackass attending. It's no fairytale, but hey. It's us."

Alex took a quick swig of his beer, setting it down on the bar roughly. Leaning in, he brushed his lips against Jo's ear. "How about we get out of here and I show you how much of a _fairytale_ we could be?"

Jo smiled, begging her body not to betray what Alex's hot breath on her neck did to her. "Show me the way, jackass."

"After you, princess."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks a million for reading! Please review, favorite, follow, etc.!**

**I'm back! And, yes, I know it's been forever. I am so, so, so, so, *so* sorry. I've had personal stuff to deal with on top of being really busy. Plus, my computer broke, effectively deleting all my stories. But whatever. That's over now, and I'm here! :P**

**Just a quick note plot-wise: Because this story follows the show, I've decided that all chapters from now until the show starts up again aren't going to have any distinct plot besides fluff (like this one). Now, hear me out! There's a good reason for it! :) I figure if I continue this story and give it big plot twists and what not, it's going to be very hard for me to get it back on track once Grey's airs, which is, thankfully, not too far off from now.**

**So that was a very long A/N. Virtual hug if you finished it! 3**

**Any and all thoughts would be appreciated! I'm exciting to get writing again!**


End file.
